Transition in Overcoming

Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Matthew 1 to 12 is speaking to the Jews primarily, while 13 on is for the church. After chapter 13, the chapters are not as distinct as the first 12 chapters.

Therefore, v.12 is speaking to for the Jews to be the remnant of Jews, that if you are not a remnant you will end up outside the light of reward of reigning with Christ during the millennial kingdom. Chapter 11 discloses the remnant, the first fruit garnered from the labor spoken in the previous chapter.

This is not to say that all Jews are saved if they are not a remnant cast into outer darkness, since the Kingdom of Heaven begins with John the baptist, and the Jews, through the Pharisees, are clearly rejecting their Messiah by calling Him Beelzebub (10.25) and saying He performs miracles by the power of the devil (9.34). In chapter 12, Christ speaks of cutting them off, and by chapter 23, He actually does cut them off, no longer having patience for them.

John the baptist is the transition from the law and the prophets of the coming Messiah, to the dispensation of Grace whereby Christians have the accomplished work of redemption finished by Jesus Christ our Savior on the cross.

In taking this perspective, which is an easy yoke, we may see in transition that OUTER DARKNESS loss of rewards which is a disciplining (making ready for the new city) for not overcoming in Christ is the consequence of not being a remnant in the same way that those that do not come out of the 7 church periods (Rev. 2 and 3), will also not be considered in the first resurrection (Rev. 20.4) to reign with Christ with an iron rod (mentioned 3 times in Revelation).